MAC PROTOCOL FOR CENTRALLY CONTROLLED MULTICHANNEL WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

• US 20090279509A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V., Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Orfanos, Georgios, Walke, Bernhard, Reumerman, Hans-Juergen, Mirkovic, Jelena
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

A wireless system and method of wireless communication are described.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of code channels (cchs) in a single frequency channel;

allocating at least one contention free period (CFP) in at least one of the code channels; and

allocating at least one contention period (CP) in another code channels commencing concurrently with the CFP.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of contention periods in respective code channels commencing concurrently.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising providing a cumulative clear to send (CTScum) after a beacon period.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the providing and the allocating are effected in a superframe.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

signalling to an access point (AP) an amount of data to be transmitted by a wireless station (STA) either the amount of data to be transmitted, or a request for transmissions according to a traffic class.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the signalling further comprises transmission of an RTSapp frame.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

signalling of traffic to be transmitted during the CFP in a control frame.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the frame includes information for forthcoming transmissions during CFP in each of the code channels.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising providing addresses of the corresponding transmitter and receiver establishing a connection.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising connection identifiers.

11. A wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless stations (STAs);

an access point (AP) operative to grant access to a wireless medium to the STAs;

a superframe having a plurality of code channels (cchs) in a single frequency channel;

at least one contention free period (CFP) in at least one of the code channels; and

at least one contention period (CP) in another code channel commencing concurrently with the CFP.

12. A wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the superframe further comprises a plurality of contention periods in respective code channels commencing concurrently.

13. A wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein the superframe further comprises a cumulative clear to send (CTScum) after a beacon period.